A large majority of women color their hair, either to cover gray or permanently change hair color. Permanent change in hair color may be obtained by oxidative dyes or bleaching. Oxidative hair dyes are widely used since they provide permanent color to hair, generally lasting from four to six weeks. Oxidative hair dyes are usually sold in the form of a two component kit. In one container is an aqueous alkaline composition in the liquid or creme form that contains oxidative colorant precursors in addition to other ingredients. In the other container is a developer solution that contains an oxidizing agent, usually hydrogen peroxide. The two components are mixed immediately prior to use and applied to hair. The dye precursors in the lotion then penetrate the hair, and the oxidizing agent oxidizes the dye precursors to produce color in the hair, as well as lightening the melanin in the hair. The mixture is left on the hair for an appropriate period of time, generally 20 to 60 minutes, then rinsed off with water.
Most consumers complain that a hair color process that takes 20 to 60 minutes is too long. It is estimated that if oxidative dyeing and bleaching of hair were a 5 to 10 minute process, more consumers would be inclined to color their hair. Certain commercial products exist that advertise 5 to 10 minute color, but these systems are not capable of permanently lightening hair, or causing a permanent color change to hair. Thus, the current commercial products have limited usefulness.
Accordingly, there is a need for providing compositions and processes for oxidative dyeing and/or bleaching of hair that enables permanent coloration of hair in 5 to 10 minutes. The coloring will include covering gray as well as providing permanent color change to the hair.
Microemulsions are used in cosmetics such as skin care emulsions, hair care products and the like. Microemulsions refer to oil in water, or water in oil, emulsions where the dispersed phase droplets are of a much smaller size than usual, e.g. submicron size. Thus the name, microemulsion.
It has most unexpectedly been discovered that when peroxide compositions used in bleaching or oxidative dyeing of hair are in the form of water in oil microemulsions, the amount of time necessary to color the hair is substantially reduced.
It is an object of the invention to provide a peroxide composition in the microemulsion form, in particular a water in oil microemulsion, for use in bleaching or oxidative dyeing of hair.
It is another object of the invention to provide a peroxide composition for use in a five to ten minute process for bleaching or oxidative dyeing of hair.
It is another object of the invention to provide a method for oxidative dyeing and/or bleaching of hair in five to ten minutes.
It is another object of the invention to provide an oxidative hair dye or bleach composition, mixed immediately prior to use, that is in the microemulsion form.
It is another object of the invention to provide a method for reducing the amount of time necessary to permanently lighten and/or color hair (usually about 20 to 60 minutes) by using peroxide compositions in the microemulsion form.
It is another object of the invention to provide a method for permanently lightening and/or coloring hair with a microemulsion composition comprised of a mixture of peroxide composition in the water in oil microemulsion form, and an alkaline composition, wherein the presence of dispersed microdroplets facilitates the increased penetration of the active ingredients into the hair shaft, and thereby reduces the amount of time necessary to achieve lightening or permanent coloration of the hair.
It is another object of the invention to provide a method for oxidative dyeing of hair with a water in oil microemulsion composition comprised of a mixture of water in oil microemulsion peroxide and oxidative hair dye, wherein the presence of the dispersed microdroplets causes increased penetration of the active ingredients, e.g. the oxidative dye intermediates and the oxidizing agent, into the hair shaft, and thereby decreasing the amount of time necessary to achieve full coloration of the hair.